Your Jacksonville FL dentist values a beautiful, healthy smile on its own merit. But the real reason to love a gorgeous smile? It signals overall health and wellness.

Gum disease is linked to a variety of other health factors that signal an overall decline in vitality. One unseen impact of poor oral health is the ability of bacteria to influence viral activity in the body. When bacteria takes up residence in the mouth, it feeds on the sugars and starches in our diet. The bacteria create waste products that have been shown to increase heart disease (among other things) and, more recently, to activate certain viruses within the body.

Thus, the presence of bacteria affects not only the health and appearance of the teeth and gums, but also the larger systemic process of the body as well as the body’s viral load. This, of course, has a massive impact on human health and can even speed the disease process up to and including death. If you’re concerned about the presence of bacteria in your mouth, contact your Jacksonville FL dentist today for a cleaning and tips on how to keep your oral bacteria in balance for greater health and wellness.

Reference:

Case Western Reserve University. (2015, January 5). Byproducts from bacteria awaken dormant T-cells, HIV viruses. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 16, 2015 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/01/150105112500.htm